1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dispenser of an icemaker in a refrigerator, and more particularly, to the dispenser of the ice-making apparatus with a structure for maximizing an inner space of the refrigerator.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, a refrigerator is divided into a cooling chamber and a freezer. The cooling chamber keeps a temperature at about 3° C.–4° C. for keeping food and vegetables fresh for a long time. The freezer keeps a temperature at a sub-zero temperature for keeping and storing meat and fish frozen for a long time and for making and storing ice.
The recent refrigerator is developed for performing various additional functions besides a typical function thereof. The icemaker is one of the additional functions.
FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram showing a conventional refrigerator. FIG. 2 illustrates a schematic diagram showing an interior of the refrigerator including a conventional ice-making apparatus. FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic diagram showing an icemaker of a conventional ice-making apparatus. FIG. 4 illustrates a diagram showing a process of discharging the ice from an icemaker. FIG. 5 illustrates an ice bank of an ice-making apparatus in the conventional refrigerator.
Referring to FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, an icemaker 10 is fixed at an upper part of the freezer in the refrigerator. The icemaker 10 is a device for freezing water and automatically discharging ice.
A structure of a conventional icemaker 10 includes an ice-making chamber 11, a water supplier 12 provided at a side of the ice-making chamber 11 for supplying water to the ice-making chamber 11, a controller 13 provided on outside of the ice-making chamber 11 and having a motor (not shown), and an ejector for discharging the ice produced from the ice-making chamber 11.
At a rear side of the ice-making chamber 10, a coupler 15 is provided for coupling the icemaker 10 with the freezer of the refrigerator.
The ice-making chamber 11 is formed in a semi-cylindrical form and having a projection 11a therein for dividing the inner space such that the ice is produced in a predetermined size.
The ejector 14 includes an axis formed to cross a center of the ice-making chamber 11 and a plurality of ejector fins 14a formed at a side of the axis of the ejector 14. The plurality of ejector fins 14a is a means of discharging the produced ice to the ice bank 20.
A sliding bar 16 is provided at a side of the plurality of ejector fins 14a for sliding the produced ice down. In more detail, the ice moved by the plurality of ejector fins 14a are placed on the sliding bar 16, then slid down along the sliding bar 16, and moved into an inside of an ice bank 20 formed at a lower part of the icemaker.
FIG. 4 illustrates a process of discharging ice from the icemaker 10 to the ice bank 20. A heater 17 is provided at a lower part of the ice-making chamber 11. The ice needs to be separated from a surface of the ice-making chamber for being moved. The heater 17 heats a lower surface of the ice-making chamber 11 and increases a temperature thereof for melting a surface of the ice so as to move the ice.
At a door 1 of the cooling chamber of the refrigerator, the ice bank 20 and a dispenser 30 are provided except the icemaker 10. The ice bank 20 is an apparatus for storing the ice produced from the icemaker 10 and discharging the ice when a user wants the ice to use.
Referring to FIG. 5, the ice bank 20 includes an ice remover 21, a motor 20 for rotating the ice remover, an ice crusher 23, and an ice discharger 24.
The ice remover 21 formed in a spiral form removes the ice supplied from the icemaker 10 to the ice crusher 23 when the motor 22 rotates.
The ice passed through the crusher 23 is discharged to the dispenser 30 through the ice discharger 24. The dispenser 30 includes a discharging passage 31 and a container supporter 35 provided at a lower part of the discharging passage.
The discharging passage 31 includes an inlet provided on an inner wall of the door 1, an outlet provided on an outer wall of the door 1, and a pipe for communicating the inlet with the outlet. In this case, the inlet of the discharging passage is provided at a higher place than the outlet.
The container supporter 35 is provided at a lower part of the discharging passage. In more detail, a vertical plane provided on the outer wall of the door at a lower part of the outlet of the discharging passage 31 includes a groove formed in a quadrilateral form.
A process of discharging the ice from the ice-making apparatus structured as aforementioned will be described as follows.
First, the icemaker being supplied with water through a water supply pipe produces the ice, and removes the ice to the ice bank provided at a lower part of the icemaker by using the ejector.
The ice bank storing the ice discharges the ice outside through the ice-discharging passage when the user wants to use the ice. The ice discharged outside is entered into a container and provided to the user, the container securely provided on the container supporter including the groove formed on the outer wall of the door.
However, the dispenser of the icemaker has following problems. First, the container supporter of the dispenser includes the groove with a predetermined depth on the outer wall of the door of the refrigerator. Accordingly, the door needs to be thicker than a predetermined thickness. The thick door takes up much of an inner space of the refrigerator. Therefore, a total size of the refrigerator is increased when the inner space of the refrigerator is made to be larger than a predetermined size.
Second, an outlet side of the discharging passage of the dispenser is exposed outside and dirt is collected thereon resulting in a problem of polluting the ice discharged outside by the dirt.